Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-14
CATARRH.

HHE TERM CATARRH is APPLIED TOA
l. peculiar disorder of the nostrils and ad-
lacent parts, which prevails to an alarming
extent, and is productive of very serious
consequences.
The most prominent and characterist
feature is a morbid discharge from the head
varying in its nature at different times
In some there is almost constant flow
OF clear, aCrid fluid but oftener an Offensive
purulent or mueo,,purulent greenish-yellcw
matter is secreted, which accumulates in
the nostriis or drops into the throat, neccs.
stating its frequent removal by blowing the
| nose or expectoration, and often by both
| processes. Sometimes patients feel as
though their head was in q state of rotten
| ness, so great is the amount of matter dis
charged and SO fetia is its odor. The pa
tlent is greatly annoyed by the constant
| dropping into the throat of the morbid
| matter from the head, and as a recumbent
position naturally faNors the flow downward
MS rest is frequently disturbed from this
cause Many sufferers are obliged to lie With
| the head very much elevated in order to
| sleep with some degree OF comfort.
In others tough, viscid and offensive
phlegm collects behind and above the soft
palate, In the passage between the throat and
head, adhering to the parts with gluish tenac-
| ity. Its lodgment .emharrasses respiration
| and creates Il sensation OF irritation and up-
easiness in the affected locality, which gives
| rise to a constant and almost irresistible de-
| sire to relieve that discomfort by drawing
| the mucus into the throat so as TO eject il bT
|
| as 'hawking," is characteristic of catarrh,
and proves as embarrassing to the one af--
fected as it is disagreeaole to those around
him.
Again, the offensive matter hardens and
deposits itself on the mem brane in the shape
OF dry, hard concretions. which are dis
| charged by way of the nostIils or throat in
Jumps or fragments of deep green tint In
some cases these incrustations accumulate
| to such an extent as to form q regular plug
in the nose, which obstraets breathing and
1 Co do
| these incrustations adhere to the point of
| attachment that their removal usually re-
quires the most violent efforts not unfre-
| queutly they have to be torn from the mem
| brane. Occasionally solid cast of notable
| size is expelled, On which there are generally
traces OF bloud. but i'll some cases the cast
| presents II tubular api pieaTance, being of exact
shape OF the nasal cavity. This condition is
| indicative of liberation, which, in time,
may destroy the bony structure of the nose
| and produce subsequent fattening of that
| organ.
Cases are occasionally met with in which
| a thick, visCid, Shiny secretion coats the
membrane of the nasal cavities and then
putrefies, giving rise to a stencil which is
really overpowering, ana sufficiently fetid
| to poison the atmosphere of whole room;
and there are others in which all the secre-
| tiOns of the membrane are suspended, caus-
ing an unpleasant feeling of dryness, heat
| and feverishness in the head and nose-a
condition condition popularity known as DRY
The disease speedily extends to the air
| cavities of the bones of the forehead and
face, giving rise to a dist essing sensation OF
heavy weight or compression over the fore
head, especially in the region above and be-
| tween the eyes, and to feeling of fulness
heat, irritation, sor, ness or pal in the nos
| trils near the root of the nose, as well as in
ne upper part OF the throat, above and be-
hind the soft palate. Sometimes there is
| pain obstinately fixed in some particular
! part, as in the temple, on the top of the
| head, at the back OF the neck, or behind the
l mall niV .fnrt
| itself in the face of so severe character
| that it is frequently mistaken for neuralgia.
| The breath is always tainted, and at times
| assumes an exceeding fetid and sickering
odor. In some eases it becomes so revolt,
| 1ngly offensive as to render the sufferer an
| object of disgust to himself as well as to
| others.
| The nasal membrane is thickened and
| contested, causing the nose to- be stopped up,
| sometimes on one side, sometimes on the
| other and often on both, giving rise to a
| disagre cable, stuify sensation in the head,
| and occasioning violent and prolonged
| paroXysms of sncezng.
| The voice is weak, Indistinct and husky
or of Il nasal character displaying a sort of
| smiling quality. Oftentimes there is Il con-
| tinuous hoaTseness and discordance. There
| Is also sense of irritation in the part,
and frequent attempts to clear the throat of
| phlegm, producing the sound "hem," more
| or less forcibly. In some cases patients
complain of an uncomfortable feeling of
fullness, or choky sensation in the throat,
|
| constant dryness, for the temporary relief of
| which they have to swallow frequently
| Others; again, speak of constant bad or
| nauseous taste in the mouth OF throat.
| The stomach generally suffers more or less
| and becomes weak and irritable: the appe-
| tite is capricious and nearly always bad in
| the morning. The patient is languid, unable
| to perform mental or physical labor with
| the usual facility, is nervous, depressed in
spirits, at times fearful, timid, agitated and
| inclined to drowsiness and sleep, the mem
| Ory weakened and permanent impairment
| seriously threatened.
| The mucous membrane soon becomes
| morb1dly sensitive to unfavorable influ-
ences, and in spite of the utmost care be-
comes affected from the slightest causes, SO
that at last breath of wind upon the lining
OF the nose or throat becomes productive OF
| cold, and gives rise to serious disturbances
of the respiratory organs. Thus the patient
is subject to frequent and repeated colds,
each attack aggravating the disease by CIV
ing it a new impulse and involving larger
| extent of surface than its predecessor. In
this manner the difficulty spreads from Or
gan to organ, invading the throat, larnyx,
trachea and bronchial tubes, until, en-
croaching further and further, IT reaches
| but slight impulse is required to send 1t to
| the lungs. Catarrh may, and often does,
affect other organs in the body, especially
| those contain ng mucous membrane, such
as the stomach, bowels, kidneys, etc.
BY the employment OF proper inhalatlons
in the form of medicated vapor lnot steam
| or spray) we are aDle 10 Prouuce iHimeuiaJe
and direct action upon the diseased surface
| in the pharynx and nasal passages, for air
| will find its way into the most remote and
| intricate cavities, where it is utterly impos-
sible to make fluid applications. by these
means every case can be cured
| Persons desiring treatment by this system
| of practice can use the remedy at home as
| well as at our Office and which will cause
| no inconvenience or hindrance to business
whatever.
l have seen so many of these cases cured
| that do not consider any case hopeless un-
| less the disease has advanced to the chest
| and that both lungs are seriously involved.
Even then the inhalations aid us in dis
solving the mucus and in contracting ana
| healing the cavities, which nothing else can
| do with the same success. The very best
re fpreupes from thORe olraody cured.